Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Competitiveness Council, 12 March

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Competitiveness Council (Internal Market and Industry) will take place on 12 March in Brussels. Day two on Research and Space has been cancelled.The Council will hold an exchange of views on the European Semester 2018: Digitalisation of the EU Economy. The Council will discuss industrial policy and will look to agree upon a set of Conclusions on a future EU Industrial Policy Strategy for Competitiveness, Growth and Innovation. There will then be a discussion to mark the 25th anniversary of the Single Market. Finally, there will be a ‘competitiveness check-up’ discussion which I expect to focus on the Externalities of Regulation in Services on Manufacturing.The Council will discuss a number of AOB points on the Industry 2030 Roundtable and the Plastic Strategy, both presented by the Commission. The Council will end with a point on Better Regulation presented by the Presidency.


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Department of Health and Social Care

Statutory scheme to control the cost of branded health service medicines

Steve Brine: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord O’Shaughnessy) has made the following statement:This statement is to update the House that Regulations were laid before Parliament on 9 March 2018 to revise the statutory scheme to control the cost of branded health service medicines. The changes will come into force on 1 April 2018, and are estimated to result in £33m of savings in the first year. I have also published a response to the consultation and impact assessment which are attached.Last year the Government consulted on reforms to the statutory scheme to better align the way the statutory scheme and voluntary 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme work, and move towards a more level playing field between companies in the two schemes.Reforming the statutory scheme will also enable the Department to put more effective pricing and enforcement controls in place, whilst increasing the levels of savings of health service medicines covered by the scheme.Having considered the responses to the consultation, the Government is making Regulations for a statutory scheme requiring manufacturers and suppliers that come within the scope of the scheme’s provisions to pay the Department of Health and Social Care 7.8% of their net sales income received from the supply of health service medicines. A record of the maximum prices that may be charged for the supply of those health service medicines will be published by the Department. The operation of the statutory scheme will be supported by the requirement for manufacturers and suppliers to record and keep information and to provide that information in accordance with the Regulations. Payments received through the scheme will be passed to the NHS in England, with apportionment to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.After consideration, the Government has amended its approach to the classification of companies in the scope of the scheme, to the exemptions from the payments, and has made a number of minor and technical amendments to ensure the new scheme operates as effectively as possible with the minimum administrative burden to companies.The Regulations will apply to the whole of the UK. Medicines pricing is a reserved area with respect to Wales and Scotland and devolved with respect to Northern Ireland. A legislative consent motion (LCM) was sought from the Northern Ireland Assembly during the passage of the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 (“the 2017 Act”). However, the Assembly was dissolved before the motion itself could be passed. With that in mind, the 2017 Act provided for separate commencement in Northern Ireland, on the basis that it was hoped that a restored executive could complete the LCM process before the provisions were commenced. In the light of the ongoing absence of an Executive, however, a point has been reached whereby a decision on whether to commence the provisions cannot be further deferred. The UK Government has therefore decided to proceed with UK-wide implementation. This decision has not been reached lightly. Yet it is clear that not commencing the provision UK-wide would introduce substantial burdens on companies, and further delay would lead to fewer savings being made by health services across the UK. Given those factors, and noting the support the measures commanded from the previous Executive (with a Legislative Consent Motion laid in the Assembly albeit not passed), I assess that now is the right time to move forward with commencement.I recognise that I made a commitment to the House during passage of the primary legislation that the provisions would not be commenced in Northern Ireland without an LCM in place. However, there has been no Assembly in place to provide an LCM over a period of more than 13 months and, in its absence, there is a clear public interest in seeing these measures proceed, not least because the measures will generate savings of £1.5m for Northern Ireland in the first year. It is on that basis that I consider we should move forward. When an Executive has been restored I will write to the Northern Ireland Health Minister to confirm that they are content for the commenced 2017 Act to remain in place. I will also continue to consider carefully any further representations from stakeholders in Northern Ireland, while recognising the broad support that these measures have commanded previously.



Consultation response
(PDF Document, 314.3 KB)




Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 1.34 MB)





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NHS Dental Charges

Steve Brine: Regulations have been laid before Parliament to uplift dental charges in England from 1 April 2018.Dental charges remain an important contribution to the overall cost of dental services. They have existed in some shape or form since 1951, and are one of the NHS services that can be charged for under the 2006 Act.We have taken the decision to uplift dental charges for those who can afford it, through a 5% increase this year.This means that the dental charge payable for a band 1 course of treatment will rise by £1.00 in 2018-19, from £20.60 to £21.60. The dental charge for a band 2 course of treatment will increase by £2.80 in 2018-19, from £56.30 to £59.10. The charge for a band 3 course of treatment will increase by £12.20 in 2018-19, from £244.30 to £256.50.The uplift announced today continues with the aim of finding an appropriate balance between the costs paid by service users and those met by the NHS through the contributions of taxpayers, If this uplift was not implemented resource savings from other parts of the NHS would need to be generated to make up the shortfall.Those who qualify for free dental treatment will remain entirely exempt from charges. Those under the age of eighteen, those under the age of nineteen and in full-time education, pregnant women or those who have had a baby in the previous twelve months, and those on qualifying low income benefits will not be impacted by these changes.Even those not entitled to exemption from dental charges, but who are on low incomes, are eligible to receive full or partial help with dental charges through the NHS Low Income Scheme.This policy will allow us to continue to protect the most vulnerable through exemptions and the NHS low income scheme. We therefore consider that the proposed uplifts in charges are fair and proportionate and will support NHS front line services.Details of the revised charges for 2018-19 can be found in the table below; New Charge (£)Dental ChargesBand 1 course of treatment (this band includes examination, diagnosis (including radiographs), advice on how to prevent future problems, scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventative care (e.g. applications of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant). This band also covers emergency care in a primary care dental practice such as pain relief or a temporary filling). £21.60Band 2 course of treatment (this band covers everything listed in band 1, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or extractions) £59.10Band 3 course of treatment (this band covers everything in bands 1 and 2, plus course of treatment including crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work)£256.50


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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICY

Sajid Javid: I am today announcing how I am minded to proceed in response to the locally-led proposals that I have received for improving local government in Buckinghamshire. Currently in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, there is a two-tier structure of Buckinghamshire County Council and the district councils of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, High Wycombe, and South Bucks.There is broad local consent for change in Buckinghamshire, though there have been two alternative approaches for how precisely it should be configured. In September 2016 and January 2017, I received locally-led proposals for replacing the current structure, in one case with a single new unitary council and in the other case with two new unitary councils – one for the area of Aylesbury Vale and the other for the remainder of the current county area.Having carefully considered all the material and representations I have received, I am minded to implement, subject to Parliamentary approval and further discussions, the locally-led proposal to replace the existing five councils across Buckinghamshire with a single council for the area.I am satisfied that this new single council, if established, is likely to improve local government and service delivery in the county, generating savings, increasing financial resilience, facilitating a more strategic and holistic approach to planning and housing challenges, and sustaining good local services. I am also satisfied that across Buckinghamshire as a whole there is a good deal of local support for this new council, and that the area of the council represents a credible geography.Whereas, I am equally satisfied that establishing two councils for the current county area is unlikely to improve local government in the area, generate significant savings, or provide the capacity to sustain major services or to address planning and housing challenges. I believe the areas of the two councils would not represent a credible geography or clear local identity, and that there is significantly less local support for two councils than for a single council. Accordingly, I am not minded to proceed with the proposal for establishing two councils.Notwithstanding, I am clear that in relation to establishing a single council further steps are needed to secure local consent amongst the local partners, and I hope this ‘minded to’ announcement will facilitate the necessary discussions to deliver this local agreement.Before I take my final decision, there is now a period until 25 May 2018 during which those interested may make further representations to me, including that if a proposal is implemented it is with suggested modifications. The final decision would also be subject to Parliamentary approval. 


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Department for Work and Pensions

Financial Guidance and Claims Bill

Guy Opperman: I am today placing in the Library of the House the Department's analysis on the application of Standing Order 83L in respect of the Government amendments tabled for Commons Report stage for the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill.


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Agenda of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) 15th March 2018, Brussels

Alok Sharma: The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will take place on 15th March 2018 in Brussels. I will represent the UK at the Council.The Council will be invited to conduct a policy debate on The Future of Social Europe Post 2020.Under an agenda item on the European Semester, the Council will be invited to adopt the following documents of the European Semester: the Joint Employment Report (JER) and Council Conclusions on the Annual Growth Survey (AGS).The Council will receive a presentation from the Commission on its 2018 Country Reports on the implementation of Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) from 2017.The Council will be invited to endorse the opinion of the Employment Committee (EMCO)’s on the latest biennial assessment of Member States’ progress against the non-binding Council recommendation of 2013 on a Youth Guarantee for tackling youth unemployment.The Council will be invited to adopt a Recommendation for a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. The Council will then conduct a policy debate on Closing the gender pay gap: contributing to the achievement of the goals of the European Social Pillar.Under any other business, the Commission will present information on its awaited Social Fairness Package, the Commission and the President will present information on the Tripartite Social Summit, and the chairs of the EMCO and the Social Protection Committee (SPC) will provide information on their respective 2018 Work Programmes.


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Treasury

ECOFIN: 13 March 2018

Elizabeth Truss: A meeting of The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) will be held in Brussels on 13 March 2018. EU Finance Ministers will discuss the following:Early Morning SessionThe Eurogroup President will brief the Council on the outcomes of the 12 March meeting of the Eurogroup, and the European Commission will provide an update on the current economic situation in the EU.Mandatory Disclosure RulesThe Council will be invited to reach political agreement on the Council Directive regarding the mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements.Banking PackageThe Council will be invited to agree on a general approach on the legislative proposals included in the Banking Package (Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) and Directive (CRD), Single Resolution Mechanism Regulation (SRMR), and the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD)).Current Financial Services Legislative ProposalsThe Bulgarian Presidency will provide an update on current legislative proposals in the field of financial services and the Commission will present its most recent Capital Markets Union package.European Semester 2018Following a presentation by the Commission on its 2018 Country Reports, the Council will hold an exchange of views on the implementation of country-specific recommendations with a focus on productivity growth. The Council will also be requested to adopt the conclusions on the European Court of Auditors Special Report on the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP).G20 Meeting The Council will be invited to approve the EU Terms of reference for the G20 meeting on 19-20 March in Buenos Aires.Status of the Implementation of Financial Services LegislationThe Commission will inform the Council on the status of the implementation of financial services legislation.


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Department for Transport

HS2 Update

Chris Grayling: I am pleased to inform the House that we have published our consultation response on taking forward the vision of a Crewe Hub.This response signals how our plans will support that vision and allow for the introduction of an additional HS2 service to Stoke-on-Trent.To enable this, we will amend our plans for HS2 Phase 2A, from Birmingham to Crewe. This includes 400 metre platforms at Crewe, which allow longer HS2 trains to split and join, opening up opportunities to serve more destinations including Stoke-on-Trent and enabling more people to access high speed, long distance services.We also intend to ask the franchise operator, West Coast Partnership, to include a high speed service to Stoke-on-Trent in its market development and service plans.A Crewe Hub could generate significant opportunities - not only for Crewe, but also for the surrounding region. To fully realise that vision will need central and local government to work together and require future decisions to be taken as part of Phase 2B.We welcome the progress being made by Cheshire East Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership in identifying how they could invest in the scheme to ensure the benefits are fully realised.The steps we are taking today will ensure Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent can benefit fully from HS2 and builds on the earlier decision to bring the benefits of HS2 to Crewe from 2027, six years earlier than originally planned.HS2 will become the new backbone of our national rail network. It will increase capacity on our busy railways and improve connections between our biggest cities and regions. It will support our Industrial Strategy, generating jobs, skills and economic growth to help build an economy that works for all.


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Department for Exiting the European Union

UK-Gibraltar Relationship

Mr Robin Walker: I chaired the sixth meeting of the UK-Gibraltar Joint Ministerial Council (Gibraltar EU Negotiations) on Thursday 8 March. We agreed a series of measures that will ensure that the valued and historic links between the UK and Gibraltar grow, deepen and endure. The UK will guarantee Gibraltar financial services firms’ access to UK markets as now until 2020. Ahead of this, the UK Government will work closely with the Government of Gibraltar to design a replacement framework to endure beyond 2020 similarly based on shared, high standards of regulation, and enforcement of this regulation, and underpinned by modern arrangements for information-sharing, transparency and regulatory co-operation.The UK and Gibraltar have agreed to recognise the importance of enhancing our liaison on all of the environmental and fisheries implications of EU exit that are relevant to Gibraltar, whether by sharing information as openly as possible, by providing specialist expertise across a range of policy areas to support Gibraltar with its own preparations, or by considering with Gibraltar where its interests might be promoted in future through regional or international agreements. The UK has provided assurance to the Government of Gibraltar that, following EU Exit, British Citizens resident in Gibraltar will continue to be eligible for higher education home fee status at English Institutions (both during the Implementation Period and afterwards) subject to concluding a reciprocal agreement for UK students studying at Higher Education Institutions in Gibraltar.The UK has provided assurance that gambling operators based in Gibraltar will continue to access the UK market after we leave the EU in the same way they do now - and we are working towards agreement of a MOU which will enable closer working and collaboration between gambling regulators in Gibraltar and the UK.The UK is committed to work closely with the Government of Gibraltar towards transport arrangements post EU Exit that support Gibraltar’s prosperity.The UK will maintain the current reciprocal healthcare arrangement between the UK and Gibraltar. This means that Gibraltar can continue to refer an unlimited number of their patients to the UK for free elective treatment. The UK remains committed to fully involving Gibraltar as we leave the EU. We will continue to work together through the JMC process to ensure we take account of Gibraltar's priorities in our negotiations with the EU.

UK-Gibraltar Relationship

Mr Robin Walker: I chaired the sixth meeting of the UK-Gibraltar Joint Ministerial Council (Gibraltar EU Negotiations) on Thursday 8 March. We agreed a series of measures that will ensure that the valued and historic links between the UK and Gibraltar grow, deepen and endure.  The UK will guarantee Gibraltar financial services firms’ access to UK markets as now until 2020. Ahead of this, the UK Government will work closely with the Government of Gibraltar to design a replacement framework to endure beyond 2020 similarly based on shared, high standards of regulation, and enforcement of this regulation, and underpinned by modern arrangements for information-sharing, transparency and regulatory co-operation.The UK and Gibraltar have agreed to recognise the importance of enhancing our liaison on all of the environmental and fisheries implications of EU exit that are relevant to Gibraltar, whether by sharing information as openly as possible, by providing specialist expertise across a range of policy areas to support Gibraltar with its own preparations, or by considering with Gibraltar where its interests might be promoted in future through regional or international agreements. The UK has provided assurance to the Government of Gibraltar that, following EU Exit, British Citizens resident in Gibraltar will continue to be eligible for higher education home fee status at English Institutions (both during the Implementation Period and afterwards) subject to concluding a reciprocal agreement for UK students studying at Higher Education Institutions in Gibraltar.The UK has provided assurance that gambling operators based in Gibraltar will continue to access the UK market after we leave the EU in the same way they do now - and we are working towards agreement of a MOU which will enable closer working and collaboration between gambling regulators in Gibraltar and the UK.The UK is committed to work closely with the Government of Gibraltar towards transport arrangements post EU Exit that support Gibraltar’s prosperity.The UK will maintain the current reciprocal healthcare arrangement between the UK and Gibraltar. This means that Gibraltar can continue to refer an unlimited number of their patients to the UK for free elective treatment. The UK remains committed to fully involving Gibraltar as we leave the EU. We will continue to work together through the JMC process to ensure we take account of Gibraltar's priorities in our negotiations with the EU.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Opposition Day Debate: Refugees and Human Rights

Mark Field: Her Majesty’s Government welcomed the heartfelt and well-informed debate on this highly topical subject on 24 January 2017, and therefore did not oppose the motion.Human rights are at the very heart of the UK’s foreign policy. These rights, as set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. These rights apply equally to all humankind. Her Majesty’s Government will continue to champion these rights across the globe. This is the right thing to do, legally, ethically and morally. It is also in the nation’s interest: full respect for human rights is a key requisite for free, prosperous and secure societies. The UK supports a coordinated and comprehensive approach in meeting the challenges of unmanaged migration, working with our European and other partners. That means addressing the drivers of migration as well as their consequences, targeting the organised immigration crime groups which facilitate movement into Europe, and helping to provide assistance and opportunities for migrants to stay closer to home.Her Majesty’s Government believes that promoting respect for all and fighting intolerance and justice helps build inclusion and stable communities. In September the Prime Minister announced a new Call to Action to combat the heinous crime of modern slavery which has already attracted over 40 endorsements. The Foreign Secretary has put girls’ education at the heart of the diplomatic work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: ensuring girls’ full access to twelve years of quality education is key to improving stability, reducing conflict and delivering prosperity. We continue to raise concerns regarding attacks on LGBT rights, freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.Her Majesty’s Government continues to encourage robust international action in dealing with the threats posed by climate change. We are committed to ensuring that the Paris Agreement on climate change is implemented effectively, and that global momentum on reducing emissions is maintained. It is also vital that all countries unite to adapt to the changes that have already taken place and to build resilience to the impacts of climate change in those countries most threatened. We have consistently encouraged robust international action on climate security. We are leading by example. The UK has committed a further £5.8 billion in climate finance between 2016 and 2021, as part of the collective effort to mobilise $100bn of climate finance a year from a range of sources. Her Majesty’s Government is also in the forefront of efforts on conflict resolution. For example, when the Foreign Secretary visited Burma in February 2018 he pressed the Government of Burma to put in place the conditions to allow for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, with international oversight, and to insist that the Rohingya should be fully involved in the process. In Syria the United Kingdom has allocated £1.3 billion to meet the needs of refugees and host communities in the region, and we have committed to resettle up to 23,000 of the most vulnerable refugees to the UK. We continue to press all parties to the Libyan conflict to find a sustainable political situation. Elsewhere in Africa, we continue to support some of the most long-term refugee populations, in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Sudan.Her Majesty’s Government will continue to champion the rights of the most vulnerable, working with the international community. Human rights are for all, wherever they may be. The international community has to work together to ensure that these rights are fully respected.